The 16th ranked Crimson Tide baseball team won a series over #1 Arkansas two games to one this weekend in Tuscaloosa.
The 16th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team broke a five game losing streak on Saturday and secured a series win over number one Arkansas on Sunday by two games to one. Bama fell 5-3 on Friday night but bounced back for a gusty 4-3 extra inning win on Saturday and a 5-0 shutout victory on Sunday. The Tide has now won series at home over #3 Tennessee, #10 South Carolina and now the top ranked Hogs. The road has not faired as well for the team, going 0-6 at Georgia and at Kentucky. Alabama sits at 24-12 overall and 6-9 in the SEC. Arkansas “fell” to 30-5 overall and 12-3 in conference play. The Tide rode solid pitching and just enough offense to win the series. The shutout win on Sunday was the first shutout of a number one team in Alabama baseball history.
Game One Lost 5-3
The Tide sent out Ben Hess on Friday to face the nations best pitcher in Arkansas lefty Hagan Smith. Hess dug himself a early hole. allowing three runs on two home runs in the top of the first. The Hogs used a hit batter, two singles, and a wild pitch to plate two more runs in the third and a lead of 5-0. Smith entered the game with an ERA of 1.50 and the Razorbacks had a team ERA of 2.68 over the season.
Smith was blowing through the Tide hitters with each over the first five innings. The only Bama base runners over that stretch were Mac Guscette with two walks and Ian Petrutz with one free pass. Nary a hit had been recorded on the scoreboard for the home team. Hess was lifted after five innings and 101 pitches, allowing five runs on five hits with three walks, one hit batters, and eight strikeouts.
Little used freshman Sam Mitchell replaced Hess in the 6th and had a perfect inning on six pitches. The Tide finally broke Smith’s no hitters up in the bottom of the 6th. Gage Miller and Justin LeBron both singled in the frame but could not advance across the plate. Mitchell walked two batters and hit one in the 7th but was able to escape unscathed.
The Tide finally got something going in the bottom of the 8th inning. Four consecutive singles by Bryce Eblin, Miller, Petrutz, and Justin LeBron, along with a sacrifice fly from TJ McCants, brought three runs in for Bama. With the bases loaded and no outs the Tide could only get the sac fly from McCants, and left the inning trailing 5-3.
Senior Zane Probst was called in for the 8th inning and threw two scoreless innings allowing only one hit with no walks and two strikeouts. The Tide went in quick order in the bottom of the 9th and lost 5-3 to stretch their losing streak to five straight games.
The Tide played the Razorbacks even over the last seven innings, but could not overcome the early Arky lead. Bama hit 6-32 in the game, walked four times, struck out nine times, made two errors, had one sac fly, and left seven men on base. Miller was 2-5 with a run scored, and pushed his on base streak to 33 straight games. LeBron was 2-4 with a run driven in. Hess suffered the loss and fell to 3-3. Arkansas hit 6-34 with five walks, 10 strikeouts, two hit batters, and nine men left on base. The difference was the two home runs hit by the Hogs. Smith improved to 7-0 on the season with the victory, allowing only two hits with three walks and six strikeouts over his six innings pitched. Gabe Gaeckle earned his 6th saved of the season.
Game Two – Won 4-3 in 10 innings
The Tide sent senior left hander Greg Farone to face off with Mason Molina of Arkansas on Saturday. With A Day going on, as well as softball and soccer, there were a lot of people in town and several of them made if over to The Joe for the 5 p.m. game. The crowd became the first sell out of the season for Alabama.
Farone was sharp from the beginning, as he has been in all of his starts. After facing just seven batters over the first two innings, Farone’s teammates gave him a lead in the bottom of the second. Will Hodo blasted an opposite field shot over the left field fence for hit 9th home run of the season. Farone worked around a two out walk and stolen base in the 4th inning to maintain the 1-0 lead.
Gage Miller launched his team leading 14th home run of the year leading off the bottom of the third. The hit increased Miller’s on base streak to 34 straight games to begin his Alabama career. Farone was finally scored on in the top of the 5th when Peyton Stovall hit a two out solo home run to cut the lead in half. Molina settled in for the Razorbacks and kept the Tide at bay.
Tyler Fay replaced Farone in the top of the 6th, and immediately gave up a game tying home run to Jared Sprague-Lott. Fay settled down and retired the next nine batters in a row to take the game to the bottom of the 8th with a 2-2 scored. The Tide broke the tie, but left some meat on the bone with a chance to break the game open. With one out Justin LeBron drew a walk. Hodo lined out to left field for the second out, followed by a single by Kade Snell and an RBI double by TJ McCants. Pinch hitter William Hamiter drew a walk to load the bases, but a ground out ended the threat.
With a 3-2 lead head coach Rob Vaughn and pitching coach Jason Jackson called on closer Alton Davis II to shut the door. Davis struck out Ben McLaughlin to start the frame, then got a gold glove worthy play by LeBron for out two. LeBron went into the hole, made fantastic stop, and gunned the ball to first to retire Ryder Helfrick. With the overflow crowd on their feet, the Hogs Peyton Holt ruined the fun with a first pitch home run to tie the game at 3-3. Kendall Diggs dribbled a ball back to the mound and beat it out for single, but Davis caught Hudson White looking at a called third strike.
The Tide tried to walk the game off in the bottom of the 9th, but two spectacular defensive plays by Arkansas thwarted that thought. Miller and Ian Petrutz were both hit by pitches to start the inning. LeBron drove a 0-1 pitch deep to right field that looked to be the game winning hit. Diggs, the Hogs right fielder, ran, twisted, and dove, making the SC Top 10 worthy catch that would have easily scored Miller to win the game. Miller did advance to third base after the catch. Hodo then smoked a one hopper in the hole at shortstop that Wehiwa Aloy made the play and throw on to keep the Tide off the board.
Davis II remained in the game for the Tide in the top of the 10th and after two ground outs and a strikeout out gave Bama another chance in the bottom half. Snell laced his second double of the game to lead off the inning and was replace by Mason Swinney as a pinch runner. The Hogs 5th pitcher, Jake Faherty then tried to field a slow roller back to the mound by McCants. Fahrety fumbled the ball, and at that point should have stuck the ball in his pocket. Instead he tried to make a rushed throw to first base and airmailed the first baseman, allowing Swinning to cross the plate with the winning run.
Bama hit 8-35 in the game with three walks, four hit batters, eight strikeouts, three doubles, two home runs, and left 11 men on base. Snell was 3-5 with two doubles, McCants was 2-5 with a double, RBI, and the game winning dribbler. Hodo continued his hot hitting with his 2-4 game with a home run, hit by pitch, run, and RBI. In five innings Farone allowed four hits with one walk, three strikeouts, and only one run. Fay threw three important innings, allowing one run on one hit with no walks and three strikeouts. Davis II improved to 3-1 with the win, pitching two innings with one hit, one run, and three strikeouts.
Tide pitching held the number one team to 6-37 at the plate, with only one walk, nine strikeouts, and left five men on base. The Hogs runs all came on solo home runs. Holt finished 3-4 and Stoval was 2-5 for five of the Razorbacks six hits. Gage Wood began the 10th inning and allowed the Snell double before Faherty relieved. Wood was tagged with the loss and his 0-1 on the year.
Game Three- Won 5-0
Could start and end this game run down with two words: Zane Adams. The freshman left hander from Porter, TX became a member of the Tide’s weekend rotation just three weeks ago after season ending injuries to Riley Quick and Hagan Banks. I don’t believe he will be going anywhere anytime soon. Adams had by far the longest outing by a Tide pitcher this season, tossing eight stellar innings over 97 pitches with four hits, one walk, and five strikeouts.
Adams set the one early, striking out two in a perfect first inning. The Tide tried to get something going in the bottom half but the fantastic Razorback defense struck again. Gage Miller was hit in the head to lead off the game, and improved his on base streak to 35 games. Ian Petrutz then drove a long fly ball to the opposite field, left, that Hog left fielder Peyton Hold leapt and made the play crashing into the wall, and was able to throw a relay in to double Miller off of first. Adams allowed a lead off single in the 2nd, but as he did all game, got three routine outs to end the inning. Will Hodo lead off the bottom half with a walk for Bama. Kade Snell smoked a line drive over the first base bag for what should have been a run scoring double. However the ball was ruled foul and Snell grounded in to a double play.
In the bottom of the third the Tide finally scratched out a run. Mac Guscette led off with a single and advanced to second on a single by Bryce Eblin. With two outs Petrutz lined a single into right field to plate Guscette for the run. Adams worked around a single and a walk with the help of a double play turned by Eblin and Justin LeBron. Adams continued to cruise, and the Tide weren’t able to take advantage of a couple of scoring opportunities.
Adams retired the Hogs in order in the 7th on a fly ball, a strikeout, and a weak ground out. The Tide got Adams some insurance in the bottom of the 7th. Evan Sleight led off by being hit by a pitch. Guscette put down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put in Sleight into scoring position. The bunt was not needed. Eblin drove the second pitch he saw into the right field plaza for his 5th home run of the season, and a 3-0 Bama lead.
Having thrown only 84 pitches through seven innings, Adams was back out for the 8th. The lanky freshman was on cruise control, and had another perfect inning and end his day at 97 pitches. The Tide got even more insurance in the bottom of the 8th. Snell hit a lead off double and advanced to third on a bunt single by TJ McCants. Sleight hit a sacrifice fly to score Snell and advance McCants to second. McCants then swiped third base, and ran on home when catch Ryder Helfrick’s throw sailed into left field.
With a 5-0 lead Alton Davis II replaced Adams to pitch the 9th. After two quick ground outs Davis walked Wehiwa Aloy, who jogged to second on defensive indifference. Davis made quick work of Nolan Souza, striking him out on three pitches to end the game. The shut out win was the first in Alabama school history over a number one ranked team.
The Tide hit 10-30 in the game with two walks, two hit batters, four strikeouts, with seven men left on base. Bama had three doubles and one home run among their 10 safeties. Eblin was 2-4 with two RBI, a home run, and run scored. McCants was 2-4 with a run scored, while Snell was 2-4 with a double and run. Petrutz was the other multi hit player for the Tide at 2-4 with double and an RBI. Adams gem should by SEC Pitcher of the Week worthy, shoving for 8 innings while allowing four hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Adams improved to 3-2 with the victory.
Arkansas hit just 4-31 in the game with two walks, six strikeouts, and six men left on base. Tygart fell to 3-1 with the hard luck loss, allowing only one run on five hits in his five innings on the mound.
In the series Alabama hit 24-97 for a .247 average, with nine walks, four hit batters, 20 strikeouts, six doubles, three home runs, 12 runs scored, and 25 men left on base. Bama pitchers held Arkansas to 16-102 in the series for a .156 average, The Hogs walked eight times, had two hit batters, 25 strikeouts, five home runs, two doubles, two stolen bases, and left 20 men on base, and scored just eight runs.
Who Did What?
*Zane Adams W (3-2) 8 innings pitched, four hits allowed, one walk, five strikeouts, zero runs
*Kade Snell 5-11, three doubles, run
*Gage Miller 4-11, two runs, walk, two HBP, home rubn, double, RBI, two runs- leads the nation in runs scored, has reached base in all 35 games he has played
*TJ McCants 4-12, two RBI, sac fly, double, run, stolen base
*Ian Petrutz 3-11, HBP, double, two RBI, run
*Bryce Eblin 3-11, home run, HBP, two runs, two RBI- returned after missing 10 games
*Greg Farone 5 innings pitched, four hits, one run, one walk, three strikeouts
*Alton Davis II Win (3-1) two appearances, 3 innings pitched, one hit, one run, one walk, four strikeouts
*Tide Bullpen 10 IP, three hits, two walks, eight strikeouts, two runs
Analysis
What a weekend for the Tide! In must win mode Bama took the series from the consensus number one team in the country. Despite losing on Friday the team bounced back and took the series away from the Hogs. Alabama has now won home series over #5 Tennessee, #10 South Carolina, and #1 Arkansas, winning all by two games to one. Unfortunately the Tide has been swept in both of their road SEC series, by Georgia and #12 Kentucky. Going toe to toe on the mound with the Razorbacks is no small feat. Arky’s offense doesn’t scare you like Tenneesee or Georgia’s sluggers, but between their pitching, defense, and a lot of clutch hitting the Hogs have been in the number one slot for several weeks now. This Tide squad has no give up in them and they have now clawed their way to a 24-12 overall record and a 6-9 in the SEC. Things will not get any easier. After a Tuesday night home game with Birmingham U, the Tide will welcome 3# Texas A&M to Sewell-Thomas for a Thursday- Saturday series.
The Tuesday game is a 6 p.m. CT tilt and will be available on SEC Network Plus. The Thursday night game is also at 6 p.m. CT and will be on the SEC Network. Friday’s 6 p.m. contest and Saturday’s 2 p.m. affair will both be available on SEC Network Plus.
Roll Tide
Bama Baseball Fever, Catch it!
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